Getting Personal
|
Southeast's diabetes center is helping patients learn to control their disease and live a healthier life through personalized plans
Diabetes doesn't discriminate, and it is continuing to spread at a staggering rate. Right now, 23 million Americans have diabetes, and last year, nearly 1.6 million new cases were diagnosed in people age 20 or older, according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Missouri alone, 313,000 people are living with diabetes.
"Diabetes is not a rare disorder," says Janet Stewart, MSA, BSN, RNC, CDE, one of the healthcare professionals at Southeast Missouri Hospital's Diabetes Center. "It can exist for years without physical symptoms but can cause devastating health problems when undiagnosed or untreated." |
 Every moment is special for Kimberly Widner and her 15-month-old twins, Elise and Ainsley |
The numbers may be scary, but living with diabetes doesn't have to be. Self-management is crucial to controlling the condition, and that's what the team at Southeast's Diabetes Center helps people do.
Cape Girardeau resident Kimberly Widner, who has type 2 diabetes, visited the Diabetes Center in May 2007 while pregnant. There, she received individual counseling from a certified diabetes educator and was able to adjust her diet in a way that was conducive to her pregnancy.
Getting Personal
"They personalized a meal plan for me," says Widner, who was worried about controlling her blood sugars while pregnant. "If my sugar levels were too high when I gave birth, my babies would have crashed. I also learned how to give myself an insulin shot, because I had never used insulin until I was pregnant."
Mary Etta Dunaway, R.D., L.D., CDE, another team member at the Diabetes Center, says education is crucial for managing diabetes. That's where the BASICS come in handy. The BASICS curriculum is an education program for people living with diabetes. Delivered in four sessions over a period of six months, it facilitates understanding of how to take care of diabetes day to day. Particular emphasis is given to proper nutrition, exercise, monitoring for blood glucose control and medication therapy.
Vernon Gregory of Advance, Mo., was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes eight years ago and visited the Center in October. During BASICS, he learned how to keep better track of what he was eating. "I got better at counting my carbohydrates and calories," he says. "They really helped me. If you listen to them, you'll get a better life. Within two weeks, I got my sugar down and lost fi ve pounds. It's the best thing that happened to me."
"One of the biggest challenges for people living with diabetes is making certain they have resources, facts, and training about diabetes and self-care," says Dunaway.
After education, maintaining a healthy diet is the most important thing a person with diabetes can do, says Wu Wen, M.D., Ph.D., Southeast Missouri Hospital's board-certifi ed endocrinologist.
The Support to Succeed
"There are a lot of aspects to taking care of yourself, but no matter what type of diabetes you have, you need to follow a meal plan," he says. "I refer people to the Diabetes Center so they can receive the support and coaching they need for diet instruction."
Limiting simple sugars, eating the right carbohydrates and low-fat foods along with proper types of oil will save calories, as well as protect against heart disease. "People who have diabetes should eat the same healthy foods that everyone should be eating," says Dunaway. "It's possible to enjoy your favorite foods as long as you are aware of portion sizes. Just because a person has diabetes doesn't mean they have to deprive themselves."
Advancements in technology and new medications are also making diabetes much more manageable. Insulin injections are easier and less painful because of new devices like the insulin pen, which is small enough to carry in a pocket or purse. The REAL-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring System uses a sensory device that keeps track of blood sugar levels every 10 seconds and records an average value every fi ve minutes.
"A person's sugar level changes all the time, and when you have diabetes, it's hard to tell where it's going to be next. With the monitoring system, a person will always know what their sugar level is and be able to take the proper course of action," Dunaway says.
The statistics show that anyone can develop diabetes. Genetics, personal health history and lifestyle habits are all risk factors. But Southeast Missouri Hospital's Diabetes Center is here to help those people with diabetes live normal lives, and it only takes a few minor adjustments of their daily habits.
"The participants of BASICS and those who receive diabetes education gain the knowledge, skill and tools to help them live healthfully with diabetes," says Stewart. "A winning diabetes healthcare team can individualize treatment and assist patients in meeting their challenges—and that's what we do."